Very much in the spirit of the previous games, this one nevertheless brings something new to the table, and it's very interesting. It's also a lot of fun to play, and to try getting through "clean" (super stealth).

Awesome crazy fun. Not as many random side activities as in previous games, but it's not a big loss. The series is definitely finding its own identity instead of just being a GTA clone.

Unsurprisingly, another bit of awesomeness from Valve. The game is split into three major sections (four if you count the co-op campaign), each easily as large as the original game and aesthetically distinct and interesting from each other. The dark humour of the original is very much intact in this game; the ending song isn't quite as good as in the original (though it grows on you) but the moments leading up to the end are best described as "epic".